Facts About Head Start
NHSA Shared Messaging
- Head Start programs reach nearly 800,000 children whose families face significant economic and social hardships: This includes children from low-income households, children experiencing homelessness, those in foster care, or living with disabilities. Children in these situations often face increased barriers to achieving long-term success in both school and life. Head Start helps mitigate these challenges by providing high-quality early childhood education during children’s most critical developmental years, equipping them for success in school and beyond.
- Each Head Start program is designed, controlled, and operated by local community grant recipients (programs): This local structure ensures programs meet the unique needs of their communities. This decentralized approach aligns with the principles of small government and local control.
- Beyond the classroom, Head Start ensures children have access to comprehensive healthcare and mental health services that reduce long-term costs for families and alleviate pressure on the healthcare system: Services, provided directly by grant recipients and community partners, include health, vision, and dental check-ups, as well as early interventions for disabilities–proactivelyimproving children’s health outcomes by identifying and addressing issues before they advance.
- Head Start supports parents so they can provide for their families and contribute to the workforce: By offering affordable early education and child care, Head Start enables parents to work, pursue GEDs and higher education, or participate in job training.
- Head Start focuses on strengthening families: Head Start’s family-centered approach actively engages parents as their children’s first and most important teachers, reinforcing the role of family in child development. It promotes parent and family autonomy and empowers parents to strengthen their parenting skills through resources, training, and opportunities for decision-making and leadership.
- Head Start fills a significant gap for rural families and communities: In many rural areas, Head Start is the sole provider of comprehensive early childhood education, healthcare, and family support services.
- Head Start provides a strong return on investment: Research shows that every $1 invested in Head Start returns $7-$9 in long-term savings through reduced costs in special education and social services. Parents who went to Head Start as children are less likely to qualify for Head Start and other government assistance programs when they have children of their own.
- Significant cost savings for families: By providing affordable early education and care, Head Start allows parents to work or pursue education and training opportunities, removing the financial burden of unaffordable child care and empowering families to achieve economic stability.
